282 GENUS MYIARCHUS. 



the watch for such vagrants, and instantly sounds the 

 charge on its approach. 



Its food consists almost entirely of insects, of which it 

 devours a large number, capturing them on the wing. So 

 far, it is highly useful, and we incline to the belief that the 

 benefits conferred far exceed the injuries committed by 

 this species. Of course, a pair of King Birds would do a 

 great deal of harm if located in the immediate vicinity of 

 an apiary; but as birds, like other animals, desire a change 

 of diet, they would not confine themselves to a feast on 

 honey laden bees. Moths, beetles, wasps, &c., would form 

 no small share of their food, and a reduction of the number 

 of such is highly desirable. 



The nest of the King Bird is usually placed on an upper 

 horizontal branch of some tree in the neighborhood of the 

 farm house, or even in -the orchard — seldom in the woods. 

 It is large. The eggs are from four to six in number; color 

 reddish white, spotted with brown. During the period of 

 incubation, the male is always on the alert, and supplies 

 the female with an abundance of food. The young are well 

 attended by the parents. 



Color, on the upper parts, bluish grey; head brownish 

 black, with a red spot surrounded with yellow on the crest; 

 under parts white, greyish on throat; quills and tail greyish 

 black. The outer edges of the former with a narrow white 

 line; tip of the tail white. Female somewhat duller. 



Length 8^ inches. 



Specimens in the Museum of the Cleveland Academy of 

 Natural Science. 



Genus Myiarchus, Gahanis. 



Tarsus equal to or longer than the middle toe, which is 

 decidedly longer than the hinder one. Bill wider at the 



